State officials pleased with Iran sanctions

Senior state officials expressed satisfaction over sanctions
imposed on Iran and the West's general handling of the nuclear threat, days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
complained that Tehran had been given too much time in between negotiation rounds.

A senior state official told Ynet on Wednesday that Jerusalem is pleased with the latest developments in the international arena which aim to financially suffocate Iran. "It should have been done earlier and faster," he said. "But now, it looks like things are moving in the right direction. The West needs to continue to put pressure on Iran."

Israeli state officials have in the past harshly criticized the White House for delaying sanctions on Iran due to political considerations linked to a rise in oil rates.

The current sentiment is vastly different. "We enjoy a high level of coordination with the US as far as the Iranian issue goes," the official said.

"There are still disagreements regarding the nuclear program's timetable but all in all the Americans have done well in representing the Israeli stance in the West's talks with Iran. The Americans did not succumb to Russia's demands to withdraw the sanctions, and that's great."

Asked why Netanyahu continues to criticize the US, the official said, "We can't say that everything is OK. The prime minister needs to keep on the pressure. The Iranian issue has not been resolved and Tehran must be made to realize that it has to halt its uranium enrichment. "

He further added, "It's also important to show the world that the US needs to 'hold on down.'"

Sources familiar with the issue said that there is an open channel of communication with the US and that there is a level of coordination.